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Mental Health Trust launches dementia café in Salford





Posted by Tony Flynn on 6th July 2011 at 05:11 PM
Mental Health Trust launches dementia café in Salford
Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Trust (GMW) is celebrating 'Dementia Awareness Week' by launching a Dementia Café on 7th July. The event will be opened by Cath Moran, Director of Operations.

The Dementia Café is part of the 'Open Doors' project which is facilitated by Mike Howorth, who also lives with dementia. The implementation of the café was encouraged by the release of The National Dementia Strategy, 2009, where it stresses the importance of 'peer groups' for dementia sufferers.

It is hoped that the Dementia Café will bring together people with dementia and carers, volunteers and health professionals. The Dementia Café will allow people with dementia to, in a relaxed forum, talk about dementia and share their experiences and concerns whilst being exposed to a wide variety of information about dementia. Topics discussed at the Dementia Café will include, 'Understanding Dementia', 'Healthy Living with Dementia' and 'Brain and Behaviour'.

Cathy Riley, Reach Beyond Project & Voluntary Friends for Older People, Salford Later Life Services, said:

"The Dementia Café offers one on one support with health professionals where people with dementia can discuss personal and private issues. We aim to create a relaxed, friendly atmosphere where people can be educated about dementia and related issues

"The Open Doors project has been our most successful project to date. The project also recently introduced an 'Open Doors Support Group' for people who have recently been diagnosed with dementia. This support group allows patients to discuss their views and opinions surrounding dementia.

"We believe that peer support groups which facilitate information and education are key to understanding dementia".

The Dementia Café will be launched on the 7th July at Woodlands Hospital, Salford.

Source: Greater Manchester NHS Trust.


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